J. Stephen Young
Ah, the beloved beignet. Such a simple treat, and yet… as anyone who has ever taken that first bite of golden, pillowy dough still warm from the fryer, or held their breath trying not to disturb that oh-so-perilous (and oh-so-delicious) mound of powdered sugar heaped on top can tell you: it's not just a food, it's an experience. So why should the festival celebrating it be any different?
Beignet Fest, held Saturday October 6 in New Orleans City Park, is free for all to enter. But for festival connoisseurs, the Beignet Fest VIP Experience is well worth a little extra dough. A VIP pass gets you o a special viewing area in front of the live music stage, as well as private bathrooms in the VIP tent—so you can focus on enjoying the beats and beignets, not waiting in line or staking out space.
Speaking of beignets: in addition to the dozens of different beignet dishes available from festival vendors, free beignets from the renowned Cafe du Monde will be available only to VIPs until noon, in addition to complimentary Abita beer, soft drinks, and water all day.
But why limit the experience to just one day? If you're visiting from out of town or craving a luxury staycation, a stay at The Jung Hotel is the perfect complement to Beignet Fest. The hotel is located on bustling downtown Canal Street, a short walk to the French Quarter and an easy streetcar ride straight to City Park and Beignet Fest. But the Jung offers more than convenience; it offers a sense of history and luxuriousness that together can only be described as “New Orleanian.”
The Jung Hotel, like the beignet, is a New Orleans institution over a century old. Once the hotel in the Gulf South for festivals and conventions, the Jung reopened in January 2018 after extensive renovations which combined state-of the art amenities and modern appeal with the classic feel of turn-of-the-century New Orleans aesthetics. It boasts some of the largest guest rooms in the city with first-class features that give you plenty of room to take care of business on the go or just get away from it all.
Whether it's sinking your teeth into a gourmet Beignet Fest specialty or sinking back into the luxury of a Jung Hotel suite, everyone deserves a little indulgence now and again. Treat yourself to the special booking package offered through the festival for October 5-7, and spend a weekend enjoying traditional New Orleans elements with a modern flair at The Jung Hotel and Beignet Fest.
